As the flying container door hurtled toward him, Coulson calmly dodged it and said, "Yes, I see it."
Hayward emerged from the container, grabbing it and tossing it directly at Coulson.
The container slid across the ground, barreling toward Coulson.
"Bang!"
Coulson stepped forward, extending his arm to stop the container in its tracks.
At that moment, Ward and May were running toward Coulson's direction, shouting, "Sir, we're on our way!"
But just then, the doors of two nearby containers burst open, and two Centipede soldiers charged toward Ward and May.
Coulson stopped the container, and Hayward, fists clenched, stepped forward, preparing for a hand-to-hand fight.
Without missing a beat, Coulson drew his Goodnight pistol and fired a shot at Hayward.
"Ugh…"
Hayward staggered and fell as the neurotoxin took effect, only for it to dissipate a moment later. He quickly recovered, sitting up almost immediately.
Coulson muttered, "The effect usually lasts longer."
He holstered his gun and charged toward Hayward.
Coulson moved swiftly, slamming his shoulder into Hayward.
"Boom!"
Coulson sent Hayward flying, crashing him into a nearby container, denting it on impact.
Hayward got back up, grabbing a steel rod from the ground and swinging it at Coulson.
Coulson caught the rod mid-swing, and with his left hand, he punched Hayward in the neck.
The blow, carrying immense force, didn't break Hayward's neck but knocked him down, leaving him writhing in pain on the ground.
…
Meanwhile-
May and Ward held their own against the two Centipede soldiers, even gaining the upper hand. However, the soldiers suddenly pushed them back and fled.
Coulson looked down at the groaning Hayward, demanding, "Who's the mastermind behind Centipede?"
"Who's behind all this?"
Hayward looked at Coulson and said, "I'll never tell you. I swear."
"No, please, don't…"
The next moment, an electric current flashed across one of Hayward's eyes, turning it blood-red. His whole body went still, lifeless.
Seeing this, Coulson froze, stunned that the organization that had once controlled his former apprentice also had ties to Centipede.
…
Elsewhere-
Inside a car-
Po and Raina watched Coulson's actions on video, then switched to footage of Ward and May's battle.
"All three of them—Coulson, Ward, and May—have received the Physical Enhancement Serum," Po said.
"Their strength has overpowered the Centipede soldiers."
He pointed to Coulson, "But he holds the key you need to reach the third stage."
Raina focused her gaze on Coulson.
…
Back with Coulson's team-
They brought Hayward's body back to the Airbus for analysis, with Fitz leading the examination.
Soon, Fitz displayed the data on a screen.
"On the left is Akela Amador's scan, and on the right is Hayward's."
Fitz pointed to Hayward's X-ray, "His artificial eye shows signs of damage, but the digital modification technology is identical in both cases."
"Hayward's prosthetic eye, like Amador's, has the same built-in power source, reverse scattering capability, and biomechanical enhancements."
Coulson asked, "So the eye implants were also developed by Centipede?"
Skye remarked, "These guys really can do anything."
Simmons added, "So, does that mean the three soldiers in the warehouse were forced to attack you because of those implants?"
Coulson nodded at Simmons, "They were following orders. Once I had Hayward on the ropes, Centipede activated his kill switch and commanded the others to retreat."
He then turned to Skye, "Can you trace their video feed again, like with Amador, to pinpoint their location?"
Skye shook her head, "No, they upgraded after Amador's case. Their video feeds are untraceable now."
Coulson glanced at the images on the screen and began to analyze, "Their technology is advancing rapidly. They must have endless manpower and resources."
Skye added, "And a wealthy benefactor."
Simmons chimed in, "Po handles strategy, the mystery woman recruits soldiers—maybe 'Clairvoyant' is the benefactor."
Fitz nodded, "Makes sense. If I could see the future, I'd be in Vegas right now."
Coulson shook his head, "Their backer might not have actual supernatural powers, but they're always a step ahead of us."
"I'll report this to headquarters. This is bigger than we thought."
With that, Coulson left the command center.
…
Elsewhere-
Po returned to the car after contacting Clairvoyant.
"I reached out to Clairvoyant," he said.
Raina looked at him. "And?"
Po calmly replied, "I'll tell you when the time is right."
Raina smiled, "Besides intel, there's something else I want to know."
"Can you tell me what he looks like?"
Po turned to her and said, "Absolutely not."
Disappointed, Raina turned away, but her curiosity and admiration for Clairvoyant remained intense.
To her, the ability to foresee the future was powerful, a fascination beyond even her interest in ninjas.
If Clairvoyant didn't possess such a gift, Raina might've collaborated with Kabuto from the Sound Village to uncover the source of a ninja's strength.
Seeing her disappointment, Po said, "The last person who tried to ask about him got cut."
"I'd rather not go down that road, Raina."
"Besides, your eyes are captivating as they are."
Raina nodded, "I understand. Not even a whisper?"
"No, I can't."
"But I did tell Clairvoyant about you. We discussed many of your strengths in depth."
Hearing this, Raina smiled and looked at Po, "You're so kind."